David Coverdale commented on the death of model and actress Tawny Kitaen Whitesnake 's muse , to whom the vocalist was married from 1989 to 1991.
When Tawny's death was announced in May, Coverdale made a brief statement on social media to express his condolences to the family of the 59-year-old model. In a recent interview with WRIF , the singer explained that the two had not been in contact since the divorce.
“I received a message late at night and thought, ‘Oh my God.’ To be honest, we hadn’t communicated for over 30 years. I was – and remain – deeply committed to my marriage with Cindy. I think it would have been different if Tawny and I had had a child, but we didn’t,” he explained (via Blabbermouth ). “I sent my condolences to her family and friends and made a modest public statement because it really wasn’t my place to do anything more.”
Coverdale also commented on the importance of Tawny's image to the band's career. In 1987, while they were dating, she became "the Whitesnake girl" after being cast in the music video for "Here I Go Again," beginning a successful partnership that would be repeated several times.
“As you know, Tawny is synonymous with Whitesnake, with MTV. This iconic, gorgeous beauty brought so much attention to my music. After you think, ‘My God, she’s stunning,’ you think, ‘Wow, the songs aren’t bad either,’” he reflected. “Yes, it was a shock – no doubt. I wasn’t prepared.”
READ ALSO: Cause of death of Tawny Kitaen, Whitesnake muse, is revealed